RESEARCH NEWS
Trial run for urban transport of the future
Automotive manufacturer MAN relies on collaboration with technology leaders and on pilot projects in which new technologies for autonomous driving are tested in real-world conditions. One of these is the MINGA(“ Munich’ s automated local transport with ridepooling, solo bus and bus platoons”) research project. As part of MINGA, MAN has equipped a fully electric Lion’ s City 12 E with an Automated Driving System( ADS), in collaboration with its technology partner ADASTEC, and integrated this into the vehicle’ s electronic architecture. |
Image: @ MAN. |
Above: The fully electric MAN Lion’ s City 12 E navigates autonomously through Munich as part of the MINGA project. Inset: The Automated Driving System for MINGA processes signals from LiDAR, radar and cameras in real time. |
Image: @ MAN. |
Pilot operation from autumn 2026
“ From a technical standpoint, the eBus is capable of automated driving: it is equipped with five LiDAR sensors, six radars, eight cameras and GNSS( Global Navigation Satellite System). Initial test runs are taking place on our premises during which specific driving manoeuvres, such as approaching bus stops, are being tested, amongst others. The aim of this phase is to fine-tune the system, gather important operational data and further optimise the automated driving functions,” said MAN.
Following this, the automated electric bus will operate in Munich’ s road traffic— initially without passengers, as a final test phase under real-world conditions. From autumn 2026, Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft( MVG) intends to launch the official pilot operation with a closed user group.
“ The vehicle will, amongst other things, steer, accelerate, brake and indicate independently. A safety driver will be on board to monitor the systems,” explained Dr. Michael Roth, Head of Bus Strategy and Bus Product Strategy, MAN.
Feedback from test users will also be systematically evaluated during this phase.
A strong vision
“ MINGA is an enormously important project for us— after all, it is a key step towards a proof of concept in scheduled line operation. Once the concept phase has been completed, field trials with customers are set to begin. The interest from transport operators in autonomous buses is enormous,” concluded Barbaros Oktay, Head of Bus, MAN Truck & Bus.
In total, around 16 partners from public administration, research and industry have been collaborating on the MINGA research project since 2023. The Mobility Department of the State Capital Munich leads the consortium and is responsible for the overall project. The project is funded until mid-2027 with around € 13 million by the Federal Ministry of Transport( BMV) under the funding guideline“ Autonomous and Connected Driving in Public Transport”.
The insights gained from MINGA will feed directly into the further development of future vehicle generations. MAN plans to bring a fully automated series-production vehicle at SAE Level 4 to market within the next decade for urban mobility that is emission-free, connected and automated. n
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. man. eu
Ultra-high-strength steel project kicks off
The University of Oulu in Finland and SSAB are leading a 23-million-euro project to develop ultra-high-strength steels and factory simulations. The new research project is developing ultra-high-strength, low-carbon steel grades and renewing steel production into a sustainable production system. Through reverse engineering, the production chain for special steels is being modelled backwards from end products( such as ships, cranes and forestry machines) to the steel mill.
The RIS4E project( Revolutionary and Intelligent Steel Solutions for Sustainable Environment) was selected on 13 May 2026 as part of a Business Finland-funded, Veturi initiative programme led by SSAB. The programme will significantly increase research and development activities in Finland, with SSAB’ s locomotive project bearing an estimated cost of 50 million euros.
The three-year RIS4E project, now getting underway, has a budget of 23 million euros. The industrial partners are SSAB; Indalgo; John Deere Forestry; Konecranes; Nome and Rauma Marine Construction. The research partners are the University of Oulu, LUT University and Tampere University.
“ Ship hull structures, harbour cranes and forestry machines are examples of equipment in which ultra-high-strength steels play a central role. These structures must withstand heavy loads and demanding conditions. In forestry machines, for example, the boom that reaches and saws trees must be long and strong, while the machine itself needs to be light and agile in difficult terrain. When structures are made from stronger steel, less material is needed, the equipment becomes lighter and energy consumption decreases,” said the University of Oulu.
Advanced mathematical solutions and process simulations underpin the development work.
The project’ s solutions are also needed in the welding workshop industry. The weldability of ultra-high-strength steels is a significant challenge, as heating can alter the steel’ s microstructure and properties. To address this, the project will build a virtual workshop in which welding can be optimised.
“ Accurate simulations make it possible to test alternatives without slow trial-and-error process experiments,” said the University of Oulu. The aim is to make the production of strong and lightweight steel structures more efficient and to develop production automation. n
www. oulu. fi / en
ISMR July / August 2026 | ismr. net | 15